I have a dansco for Jefferson nickels and I want to fill a hole with one that is graded but don't want to damage it getting it out of the slab. My set is Gem and Proofs and I have never cracked a graded coin out but bought a 65 to fill the hole cheaper than most of the raw examples I've found. Advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.
I generally use an electric miter saw - chop off the top, and the two sides, then carefully bend it open and take out the coin.
I use a pair of end cutting pliers. Snip the slab on 3 sides of the lower part and it pops right apart. I find ngc slabs the hardest to open
I've never cracked a slab, nothing against it I've just never had the need. That said, I don't think I would crack an MS coin out of a slab but if I did I would go with the miter saw process. Sounds the safest to me.
I've busted a lot of slabs with these. Great for pulling nails too which is what I mainly use them for. I still occasionally find slab remnants in dark corners in my workshop. Usually cracking anacs slabs to send to pcgs or ngc or pcgs or ngc slabs I don't agree with the grades of. There's one thread here with pics of me busting one open
I usually run them over with my car until they are good and cracked, then if I can find the coin, I will place it in my album. Just kidding, Ive used pliers and the vice method. Both work fine.....but be careful, you dont want to slip up and damage a coin. The slabs are really quite tough.
Why I like the end cutters you crack and cut through the thick edges of the slab then remove the broken plastic carefully from the rubbery soft plastic holding the coin. Then pop the coin out and your good to go
Pcgs, bolt cutters, vice, linesman pliers NGC, take a hammer and a towel tap (hit) it along all four edges comes right apart. Newer Anacs, twist or see above. Old small white holders see #1 ICG to have the toughest to break just neef a Big hammer
Thanks I feel pretty confident now that I can do this successfully. It's a 47p only cost $6 but will work for gem BU set.
https://www.cointalk.com/threads/well-i-finally-tried-it-the-crack-out.252220/ Read the suggestions in the thread, as they seem to work better than what I initially tried.
Ditto, except that I first wrap the slab in a piece of cloth to prevent shards of the slab from shooting halfway across the room. It kind of holds everything together so that you can control where all of the pieces go.